Summer 2009

CHRONICLE

Summer 2009

Houston, Texas

O F S T R A K E J E S U I T C O L L E G E P R E P A R A T O R Y

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The Southwell Players have been a tradition at

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Act Well Your Part...

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Near the end of the 2008-09 school year, Croquet matches returned to the Strake Jesuit Quad. J.B. Leininger was certainly smiling down upon the students as they took part in the Croquet Classic. To read more, see page 11.

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Table of Contents

Features

Act Well Your Part...p. 4

Graduation 2009p. 7

Athletic Hall of HonorSecond Class Elected

p. 16

Departments

President’s Message - 2

Principal’s Perspective - 3

School News - 10 - 11

Development - 13 - 14

Spirituality - 15

Athletics - 16 - 19

Alumni News - 20 - 21

Class Notes - 22 - 23

Births - 23

In Memoriam - 23

By George - 24

Summer 2009Vol. 40, No. 4

EditorRick Rivers, Director of Communications

ContributorsFr. Daniel K. Lahart, SJ Richard NevleFr. Flavio Bravo, SJMichael Sullivan ‘87Jack Bonner ‘98

The Chronicle of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory (USPS 024165) Vol. 40, No. 4, Summer Edition, is published quarterly by Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, 8900 Bellaire Boulevard, Houston, TX 77036. Periodicals Postage Paid at Houston, TX and additional mailing offices. POSTMAS-TER: Send address changes to The Chronicle of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, 8900 Bellaire

Boulevard, Houston, TX 77036-4699.

PresidentFr. Daniel K. Lahart, SJ

PrincipalRichard Nevle

Director of DevelopmentNJ Santarcangelo ‘67

ON THE COVER - Highlights from the theater pro-gram - The Tempest in 1966 (top right), Dead Man Walking in 2005 (bottom left), and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown in 2007 (bottom right).

Pres

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geFr. Daniel K. Lahart, SJ

President

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g2 Summer 2009

“Yes, it was.”

That is my answer when asked whether 2008-2009 was the best athletic year in the

school’s history. While our teams weren’t crowned with any state titles as they often were dur-

ing our TCIL days, they accomplished what no other class ever has. All thirteen varsity sports

participated in post-season play. Every sport. All thirteen. That is a first.

The accomplishments this year are legion. UIL district championships in football, cross

country, basketball and tennis. A first-ever city championship in lacrosse. State final four ap-

pearances in water polo, basketball, rugby, and lacrosse. State championship competitors in

cross country, track, and wrestling. All-district, all-region, all-state, or other post-season honors

in all sports. At least 14 of our students from the Class of 2009 will be playing collegiate sports

at Penn State, Notre Dame, Harvard, Princeton, Williams College, Miami of Ohio, Cornell,

Rice, SMU, Fordham, University of Texas at San Antonio, and Rhodes.

“Yes, it was.” This was a great year for sports at Strake Jesuit.

It was a great year in so many other areas too. As you will see in the following pages, our

Southwell Players were busy producing, acting in, and directing plays. The band and orchestra

and Triple Trio gave us memorable performances. Our debate team competed well across the

nation. In so many ways, our various extra-curricular clubs and activities enjoyed a remarkable

year. Even the Lunch Time Croquet Club experienced a long-anticipated renaissance! As I

write this letter, Strake Jesuit students are performing community service all across Houston

and the globe, each one of them finding out first hand what it means to be a Man for Others.

Yes, it was a great year here at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory.

This year we had some of our most impressive college acceptances. With acceptances

into every Ivy League school, into the finest Catholic and Jesuit schools, into Texas schools

with numbers far surpassing the restrictions associated with the 10% rule, our students had

wonderful choices to make.

This year we also had exceptional leadership among the senior class, and it showed dur-

ing moments of sorrow at the school and during times of celebration. Indeed, it was a great

year.

It was also a great year as we completed The Greater Glory Capital Campaign. As I reflect

on the difference that it has made on the campus, I realize that every student, every faculty

member and parent has been touched by the results of the Campaign. This Campaign was

about improving the quality of student life on campus. What we are able to offer our students

and the facilities that we are able to provide have improved spectacularly over the past five

years. But the Campaign has done so much more. It has improved the campus not just for

students but for faculty and staff, for everyone. While our success in athletics is certainly due

predominantly to the quality of our student-athletes and our coaches, I know our facilities have

also strengthened our programs and contributed to our accomplishments this year.

We now begin the preparation for our next strategic plan. Just as no team can rest on

its laurels, just as no debater’s or actor’s work is ever done, we too strive on. We are always

called to serve the Magis, the greater glory of God. With your help and God’s grace, we will

continue to improve what we do here, not to win championships, but to educate our students

to use their many talents and gifts in the service of their fellow men and women. As I reminded

our students in my Baccalaureate Mass homily, to whom much is given, much is expected.

Thank you for your support of the school and our mission. You helped to make it a great

year in so many ways. Every victory on the field, every knock-out performance on the stage,

every winning debate round, every success anywhere, owes much to our many generous sup-

porters.

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g The Chronicle 3

Even though we humans have been doing it for nearly five thou-

sand years, building a calendar is no easy task. Simply preparing a

school calendar is complex. Some parts are easy; Christmas is al-

ways the twenty-fifth. Easter moves around, but it has already been

determined and so too are Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day

etc. But beyond those days fixed by law and tradition, the ground

gets spongy. Where are we going to put Spring Break–we need to co-

ordinate with other schools, our neighbors at St. Agnes, the schools

our students’ siblings attend. And then there are the events, orienta-

tion, matriculation, examinations, graduation, entrance testing day.

Were it just one calendar, the job would amount to little more

than making a list–but there is far more than one calendar. There are

numerous retreats and liturgies, thirteen varsity sports with attendant

sub varsity programs–that’s a lot of games to schedule and in a sea-

son like this past one when every one of those varsity teams went into

post season play-offs, the possibilities for conflict abound. There are

plays and rehearsals to schedule, band concerts, orchestra concerts,

choral concerts, speech and debate contests (local, regional and na-

tional), engineering competitions, college information nights, parent-

teacher meetings and an entire program of social events.

Tucked into all of this is the core of the school with its daily round

of classes that follow a rhythm of their own. ( Ptolemy and Brahe

would be impressed with our unique six-day epicycle.) World History

students learn early in the first semester just what a tremendous chal-

lenge making a calendar was for those first calendar makers. Archae-

ologists have found marked bones in some of

Europe’s oldest sites that clearly show that our

first ancestors were trying to devise a system

of tracking time by counting out the phases

of the moon. There are places in West Texas

where these same attempts were made on the

walls of shallow caves. For hunter-gathers

the problem wasn’t all that critical–blossoming

plants and migrating animals helped the first-

time counters reset their system.

The problem came with farming; the farm-

ers needed to know when the rains and floods

were coming, and therefore when to plant. The old lunar calendars

of hunter-gatherers didn’t take long to fall behind the cycle of the sea-

sons, and that is when we begin to see the appearance of various so-

lar observatories–sometimes no more than several piles of stones set

out to catch the moment of the two solstices. Narrow clefts in canyon

walls with accompanying drawings tell us how the ancient shamans

of the southwest were able to determine not only the solstices, but the

equinoxes as well. Planting times, the times for liturgical celebrations

and propitious days to begin important endeavors began to have a cy-

clic certainty. Astronomy and astrology, cosmology and calendars, all

came into being together. The accurate calculation of time, planetary

motion, and religious life were all of the same fabric–it is no accident

that the Romans’ word for prayer, ora, is closely related to their word

for hour, hora.

While there are few of us who can tell the time of year by not-

ing the appearance of Sirius on the horizon as did the priests of an-

cient Egypt, we can measure time with devices far more precise than

Harrison’s first chronometer, determining the hour of the day to the

fraction of a second, but it doesn’t resolve the problem of building

a calendar. Being able to measure the day with accuracy has not

enabled us to find any more time than those ancient stargazers. We

still, after numerous meetings, forget an event or post the wrong time

for a meeting or have to add an event at the last moment.

With the completion of the Lahart Chapel we can rely on the cha-

pel bell to toll out the hours of the day, measure out the hour (hora) of

the Examen and the evening Angelus. When

the once predictable parade of students on their

way to classes have disappeared, we know

their annual summer migration has taken them

elsewhere, teaching us that we don’t make

time–we’ve barely learned to measure it.

Act Well Your Part…


n the last day of finals, the Southwell Players wrapped up the year with their an-

nual awards ceremony, affectionately known as the “Bobbies.” We celebrated achieve-

ments and said goodbyes with mixed countenance, somber yet joyful. Seniors entrust

the underclassmen with the company’s future; the underclassmen thank the seniors

for its past. Moments such as these are often bittersweet. As educators, we celebrate

those entering that bold new realm while simultaneously mourning their exit from our

own. As artists, we look to the accomplishments of the past to provide context for the

present and a goal for the future. Put simply: only after examining where you have

been can you know where you are…or better still, where you are going.

by Michael Sullivan ‘87 & Jack Bonner ‘98

Act Well Your Part…

Aside from Athletics, few other Strake Jesuit extracurricular activities have been in existence longer than the theater program. With their first production in 1966, The Southwell Players have become one of the school’s most storied student organizations. Here, the two gentlemen who currently oversee

the school’s theater program provide an insight into its history, philosophy, and future.

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The Chronicle 5w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g

The Southwell Players take their name from Robert Southwell, a

Jesuit poet martyred in 1595. Southwell is believed to have been a

distant relative of Shakespeare, and was most certainly an influence

on the Bard. Take, for instance, Shakespeare’s reference to South-

well’s poem The Burning Babe in his own play, Macbeth. The Players

honored this connection in 1966 when they chose a Shakespeare

play as the debut production of their inaugural season. For this first

production, The Tempest was selected and the performances were

held in the cafeteria. The play was a sellout, and The Southwell Play-

ers were born.

After years of using the former cafeteria and other improvised

spaces, the school bestowed the Players with a permanent and for-

mal theater space in 1983. Dedicated as the

Lowman Theater in 1997, the space is a lovely

200 plus seat venue, which allows it to feel both

substantial and intimate at the same time. It is

a place much larger than the walls that define

its physical structure. It is a place both per-

sonal and communal. Like Strake Jesuit, it is

a place that comes to define the lives of those

who choose to work within its walls.

The Lowman Theater is also a place

where we celebrate the Jesuit ideals pro-

mulgated here in the classrooms. In 2005,

we were proud to be part of the world pre-

miere of the Dead Man Walking theater proj-

ect written by Tim Robbins. The production

included a visit with Sr. Helen Prejean as

well as an extended discussion of capital

punishment and reconciliation. Just last

year, we presented an original production

on social justice for the Colloquium of Je-

suit Schools in the southern province. The

performance consisted of scenes from various plays juxtaposed with

certain quotes from Bishop Oscar Romero. Other productions such

as Bertolt Brecht’s Caucasian Chalk Circle, Eugene Ionesco’s Rhi-

noceros, Anouilh’s Antigone, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, and Luigi

Pirandello’s Six Characters In Search of an Author have also sought

to honor the Jesuit tradition of social awareness. Often studied in

theatrical literature courses, titles such as these often inspire the ex-

amination, query and reflection characterized by Ignatian pedagogy.

We’ve also hopefully provided discourse with communities other

than our own. Jesuit Theater is nothing if not a collaborative art. We

have mounted joint productions with other schools including Sharp-

stown High School, Saint Agnes Academy, and Dallas Jesuit, each

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In 1966, the Southwell Players of Strake Jesuit debuted with The Tempest, with the performances taking place in the school’s cafeteria.

In 2005, the Southwell Players were a part of the world premiere of the Dead Man Walking theater project (left) and in February 2008 when Strake Jesuit hosted a Colloquium for the schools of the New Orleans Province, they performed an original production on social justice (right).


providing our students with ac-

cess to a viewpoint other than

their own. In recent years Stu-

dent-Directed One-Act Plays

have become a regular fixture of

each season. With Jesuit’s entry

into the University Interscholas-

tic League, The Southwell Play-

ers have participated in two One

Act Play contests with other area

schools. Other recent projects

include this spring’s Alumni-

Directed One-Act Plays and in

the fall of 2007, the first musical

in over 10 years, You’re a Good

Man, Charlie Brown.

Now, the theater is dark for

the summer months. With the

seniors gone, the underclassmen

await their own return and upcoming productions. Like the students,

we always look forward to the new year and a new crop of budding

thespians. While we’ve never been the largest organization, the

Southwell Players have a long tradition here at Strake Jesuit, a part

to play if you will. The 2009-2010 school year productions will include

The Dining Room by A.R. Gurney and The Elephant Man by Bernard

Pomerance. Our first production

is in October, but we’ll be here

from day one: planning try-outs

and rehearsals, building sets

and costumes, playing our part,

acting it with honor. After all, as

in the Alexander Pope epigram

we chant before each produc-

tion, “there all the honor lies.”

About the authors: Michael Sullivan ‘87 has headed Strake Jesuit’s theater program since joining the faculty in 2000. He earned a BFA in Theater from Southwestern University and a Certification in English & Theater from the University of Houston.

Jack Bonner ‘98 has been assisting Mr. Sullivan in the theater pro-gram since he returned to Jesuit as a member of the Alumni Service Program in 2004 and is now a member of the faculty in the English Department. He attended Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, earning degrees in English and Theatre.

In 2007, the theater program presented their first musical in over a decade when they performed You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.

Robert Southwell (1561-1595) was one of

England’s many poets and one of its most illus-

trious martyrs. He was killed during the reign of

Queen Elizabeth I.

As a young man, Southwell asked to join the

Jesuits but was turned down because he was

too young. With great determination, he walked

to Rome where he was accepted into the novi-

tiate at Sant’Andrea in 1578. He was ordained

in 1584 and two years later he was assigned to

the mission in his homeland and left Rome on

May 8, 1586.

Southwell was assigned to minister in and

about London by visiting the dozen or so pris-

ons in the city and helping priests who had just

entered the country. He put together several

letters he had written to one prisoner to encour-

age him in prison and these letters were revised

and published as An Epistle of Comfort.

For six productive years Southwell exer-

cised his ministry until he was betrayed by

a Catholic woman who had been pressured

into setting a trap for the Jesuit. After being

captured, he remained steadfast despite be-

ing tortured 13 different times. The queen al-

lowed him to be moved to the Tower where he

was better cared for. He did continue to write

the poems that expressed his deepest feel-

ings and were later collected and published

as St. Peter’s Complaint.

After two and a half years he was tried on

February 20, 1595. Southwell readily admit-

ted being a Catholic priest but denied any in-

volvement in plots against the queen. He was

found guilty of high treason and executed the

very next day.

Robert Southwell, Namesake of the Southwell Players


President Fr. Lahart, Principal Mr. Nevle, faculty and staff, distinguished family, friends, guests, and fellow graduates of the class of 2009:

It is truly my honor to speak before you this morning, the morning of our graduation. It is such an honor that, in fact, I became over-whelmed at the thought of it, and subsequently had no idea how to write this speech. I strug-gled with various themes and approaches, metaphors and analogies, only to find them empty and unsatisfying. About what could I possibly say, of what could I possibly speak to do any sort of justice to these past four years at this school with these people I see to-day? These people. That’s when it hit me. My speech was already there right in front of me; it had been accumulating over four years; it had already been written, and you, my friends, are the authors.

It was written when we first gathered for Freshman Orientation four long years ago. It was written when we shared witness deep into the night of our Freshman Retreat, recogniz-ing our unity for the first time, an idea contin-ued throughout our years until amassing in our senior Kairos retreats. It was written when we served others, when the JRS club served the needy in El Paso, when we served the unfor-tunate in our Senior Service Projects. It was written when the Southwell Players performed in the Lowman Theater, when our nationally ranked debaters competed all over the nation, when our All-State musicians graced the audi-ence with their euphony. It was written when football, water polo, cross country, tennis, swimming, lacrosse, wrestling, basketball, soc-cer, golf, track and field, rugby, and baseball all made it into their respective postseasons this year—yes, in case you were wondering, those are all thirteen sports here at Jesuit. It was written by the formation of our now legendary Xander Zone, with its sea of white unified in pre-game stretching, spontaneous freezing, clever chanting, yelling and jumping up and down until the bleachers nearly cracked, and

anything else considered, well, obnoxious, as well as heart-felt, deep-seeded chants of “I be-lieve” and “We are SJ.” Indeed we are. Yet as great as our class may be, we did not make it here on our own. We needed help, a certain type of support provided by a certain type of people—our own faculty. Yes, we entered as immature freshman…and sophomores…and well, maybe juniors too. I still don’t know how Father Billac put up with us freshman year, with the remote control car, the bubbles, the TV remote, to name a few. I don’t know how the maintenance crew put up with us this year, with our innovative yet hard-to-clean-up senior prank. But they did. And he did. And our faculty did. Because they cared for us. They cared for us when Coach Kerley, Coach Crowley, and Coach Tesone demonstrated an unrivaled dedication to our cross country team. They cared for us when Mr. Hosty greeted his class with his same bright smile everyday. They provided us with a solid educa-tion; they taught us within the realm of their respective fields; but they too went beyond that, beyond propriety, teaching us beyond

the classroom, beyond what their job descrip-tion demands. Whether it be steadfast com-mitment to this school from Mr. Nevle, Dean Clemons, and Father Lahart; tireless devotion to the Freshman Retreat from Mr. Roman, Ms. Riojas, and Tony; advice from Coach Sharman and Mr. Kulick about college; help from Coach Pruett with Student Council; a lesson from Coach Fletcher about life; or a conversation with Mr. Crist about, well, anything, this faculty has not only educated us; they have shaped us. They have allowed us to form the memo-ries we hold onto today; they too, each and every one of them, have written the speech. And for that, we are truly grateful. Because many places provide an education; however, few provide an experience. And Strake Jesuit is not one of many. So thank God our parents sent us here. The cornerstone of our upbringing, the foun-dation of our childhood, they certainly have been the most influential figures in our lives. Eighteen years we have spent with them—eighteen long years—a phase which is draw-ing to a close. They have raised us, prepared us for the world for which we will soon depart, certainly a demanding task. My dad and my mom probably have the hardest job in the en-tire city: raising me. I can only hope my kids are half as annoying as I have been. But I would not be up here today—I would not be here at all—if it weren’t for Mom and Dad’s in-cessant, unwavering comfort and support. We babysit for one night for some money. Imagine babysitting eighteen years for no pay at all. To-day exists only by our parents’ guidance, for truly the speech was written by them too. The same speech that was written by our memories, of which I only captured very little; the same memories that accumulated over the past four years; the same four years that we celebrate today. For you see, today is different. Today is special. Today we find a fresh vibe, a new-found energy in the air: the same energy that we found in the basketball playoffs; the same

In his address at Commencement the Valedictorian of the Class of 2009, James Webb, admitted that he was initially overwhelmed by the task of addressing his fellow graduates. He soon realized that the speech was virtually written for him through his experiences during his four years at


energy that we found in our retreats; the same energy that we found in Strake Jesuit. Because today is a remembrance, a commemoration, a celebration of our past four years here at Je-suit, a celebration of the myriad of memories which will never leave us. And who better to celebrate than the men you see before you, my fellow graduates?

People may think it every year, but I know with full confidence that our class is special. We are unique. We are fresh. We are dif-ferent. We are “interesting and riveting,” as Coach Kenny would put it. As you have seen and heard today, as you have seen and heard these last four years, we are one-of-a-kind.

And that is why today is so extraordinary. Because you see, this isn’t any graduation; this

isn’t any school; this is Strake Jesuit College Preparatory. And when you combine our class, the class of 2009, the individual persons, the flesh and heart of our school, with the frame-work and the environment and the persons of Strake Jesuit, a rarity results: a community un-der God, a brotherhood under Christ, a second family. We have our fathers and our Fathers, our brothers and our Brother. And most of all, we have each other. However, things are soon to change. We

will enter a new stage in life, a phase called college, a good thing. The time has come for us to leave our homes and move on and immerse ourselves into the world. Although many miles will separate us, I sincerely hope that we stay connected. I hope that we stay true to what and to whom we have discovered at Strake Jesuit. But no matter what may hap-pen, no matter what the future may bring, re-member this: nothing can take away our past four years; nothing can take away our memo-ries; nothing can take away today; nothing can take away the Strake Jesuit within each one of us; nothing.

Thank you and God bless.

Graduates of the Jesuit New Orleans High School Class of 2009 were fresh-men when Hurricane Ka-trina sent many families running for shelter to vari-ous parts of the nation. Many Blue Jay fami-lies found themselves in Houston and at the doorstep of Strake Je-suit College Preparatory. The Strake Jesuit com-munity, without hesita-tion, opened their doors to Blue Jay families in a time of great darkness. Strake Jesuit’s as-sistance was a light that proved vital in the restoration of Jesuit New Orleans and the civic community. The light between Strake Je-suit and Jesuit New Orleans continues to shine in the relationships forged in the dark days between families brought together by Hur-ricane Katrina. The Guilbeaus and the Badums represent one of these family bonds. Sight unseen, the Badums took in the Guilbeaus, offering them the assistance needed to continue soon after the storm. The ties first made in an unusual and sad circumstance continue today in a growing, rich relationship between the two families. Both families stay in contact and visit each other periodically. On

‘Katrina’ Class Graduates, Recalling Ties that Bind

Tuesday, May 26 the Badums made the six hour drive to be in New Orleans to watch Jeff Guilbeau graduate on stage. This was just two days after witnessing their son Michael’s graduation at Strake Jesuit on May 24. Nearly four years ago, the graduates of the Class of 2009 and their families found themselves lost in Katrina’s wake. Now, almost four years later, Blue Jay families have discovered an inner strength to rebuild their community fostered by the example of Strake Jesuit families like the Badums. Thank you, Strake Jesuit and the Badum Family!

Pictured above are (left to right) Mr. Jay Hooks, SJ, Joe Guilbeau, Ryan Guilbeau, Kathy Guilbeau, KristenGuilbeau, Jeff Guilbeau ’09, Michael Badum ‘09, Annie Badum, Lee Ann Badum, and Jim Badum.

by Pierre DeGruy, Director of DevelopmentJesuit New Orleans High School


CLASS OF 2009 COLLEGE ACCEPTANCESThe Class of 2009 earned over 608 scholarships and grants totaling over $21.7 million.

Also, they were accepted at over 200 of the finest colleges and universities across the nation, as listed here.

JSEA Award John Gabriel Brentin

John F. KennedyCommunity Service Award

Taylor Francis Baumann

Steven Brian McConnell ‘78 AwardTimothy Graham Ashe

Williams AwardDiego Alberto Pacheco

Rev. Michael F. Kennelly, SJ Service AwardRicardo Roosevelt Watson, Jr.

The Class of 2009 Awards and Honors

University of Advancing Technology 1The University of Alabama 28American University 3Amherst College 3Arizona State University 11The University of Arizona 9University of Arkansas 1Auburn University 10Austin College 1Babson College 1Baylor University 1Baylor University 39Beloit College 1Blinn College 1Boston College 8Boston University 8Bowdoin College 1Brown University 1California Institute of Technology 1Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo 1Carnegie Mellon University 2Case Western Reserve University 3Chapman University 1College of Charleston 1University of Chicago 2University of Cincinnati 1Claremont McKenna College 1Clemson University 3College Prep Year 1University of Colorado at Boulder 8University of Colorado-Colorado Springs 2University of Colorado at Denver 2Colorado College 1Colorado School of Mines 10Colorado State University 2Columbia University 2University of Connecticut 2Cornell University 3Creighton University 7University of Dallas 3University of Delaware 1Duke University 2Emerson College 3Emory University 1Florida A&M University 1Florida Institute of Technology 1

Florida Southern College 1Fordham University 19Franciscan University of Steubenville 2Franklin and Marshall College 1Furman University 1The George Washington University 5Georgetown University 3Georgia Institute of Technology 2University of Georgia 6Gonzaga University 1Grinnell College 2Hampton University 1Hanover College 1Hartwick College 1Harvard University 3Harvey Mudd College 2University of Hawaii at Manoa 1Hendrix College 3Hofstra University 2College of the Holy Cross 5Houston Baptist University 8University of Houston 38University of Houston, Downtown 1Howard University 1University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign 1University of the Incarnate Word 1Indiana University at Bloomington 2Iona College 1Ithaca College 1Johns Hopkins University 3University of Kansas 1Kenyon College 3La Salle University 1Lafayette College 1Lehigh University 1Lewis & Clark College 1Louisiana State University 38Loyola Marymount University 5Loyola University Chicago 6Loyola University New Orleans 2Manhattan College 2Marquette University 5University of Mary Hardin-Baylor 2Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1McGill University 1Miami University, Oxford 1

University of Miami 3Michigan State University 1University of Michigan 2University of Mississippi 6University of Missouri Columbia 1Morehouse College 3New York University 7North Carolina A&T State University 1The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill 1University of North Carolina at Greensboro 1University of North Carolina at Wilmington 1North Carolina State University 1Northeastern University 2 Northern Arizona University 4Northwestern University 6University of Notre Dame 14Ohio Wesleyan University 1Oklahoma Baptist University 1Oklahoma State University 1Oklahoma Wesleyan College 1University of Oklahoma 6Oxford College of Emory University 1University of the Pacific 1Penn State University-University Park 3University of Pennsylvania 1University of Portland 3Princeton University 2Purdue University 5Regis University 6Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 3Rhodes College 6Rice University 9University of Richmond 1University of Rochester 1Rockhurst University 1Saint Joseph’s University 2Saint Louis University 38Saint Mary’s College of California 1Sam Houston State University 1University of San Diego 2University of San Francisco 5Santa Clara University 17University of South Carolina 5University of South Florida 1University of Southern California 8Southern Methodist University 13

Southwestern University 6Spring Hill College 4St. Edward’s University 9St. John’s University-Queens Campus 4St. Mary’s University of San Antonio 2University of St. Thomas 11Stanford University 1Stephen F. Austin State University 2Stony Brook University 1Suffolk University 1Swarthmore College 1Syracuse University 5University of Tennessee, Knoxville 1Texas A&M University 71Texas A&M University, Galveston 3Texas A&M University, Kingsville 1Texas Christian University 25Texas State University-San Marcos 2Texas Tech University 20The University of Texas, Arlington 1The University of Texas, Austin 36The University of Texas, Dallas 9The University of Texas, San Antonio 23Trinity University 20Tufts University 2Tulane University 16University of Tulsa 8United States Military Academy 2Vanderbilt University 5Vassar College 2Villanova University 5Virginia Polytech Institute State University 1University of Virginia 3Wake Forest University 3Washington and Lee University 1Washington University in St. Louis 4Westminster College 2Whittier College 1College of William and Mary 1Williams College 1University of Wisconsin, Madison 1The College of Wooster 1Worcester Polytechnic Institute 2University of Wyoming 1Xavier University 6Yale University 1

Frank Ribelin Award in the ArtsHenry Ung

Crusader AwardJames Bishop Webb

Millard Filmore Parsley AwardPaul James Tyger

Highest GPADaniel Christopher Elevado Blado, PaulEamon Doyle and James Bishop Webb

Second Highest GPA AwardCharles Brett Provenzano

ValedictorianJames Bishop Webb

SalutatorianCharles Brett Provenzano

Recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program - 36

National Merit Finalists - 8

National Merit Commended Students - 28

National Hispanic Scholars - 15

Eagle Scouts - 33

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SCHOOL NEWS

Haich, Finke Presented with Fleming Teaching AwardsEach year the Awards

Day Ceremony is a time when students accom-plishments by academ-ics, athletics, and other extra-curricular activities are recognized. Over the last five years, one of the most anticipated presen-tations on this special day is one dedicated to the faculty. The Annual Flem-ing Teaching Excellence Awards are given each year to two distinguished members of the Jesuit fac-ulty who have demonstrat-ed excellence in the class-room and also for their demonstration of the cura personalis, the personal care of the Jesuit stu-dents. One is presented to a faculty member who has been teaching at Je-suit for more than fifteen years and one who has been at the school less than fifteen years. At the 2009 Awards Day held on Friday, May 1, the Fleming Awards were presented to Larry Finke and Christian Haich. Both mem-bers of the school’s Math Department, Mr. Finke has been at Jesuit since 1982 and Mr. Haich, who serves as Department Chair, has been at Jesuit since 2000. “I am very honored to be included with the previous recipients,” noted Mr. Finke. “To be mentioned with fellow math teacher Christian Haich, is really special. I’ve tried to model what I do after some of the terrific teachers here at Jesuit, both past and present. The compassion of Fr. Doyle, the regiment and commitment of Fr. Leininger, the energy of John Hosty, the friendship of N.J. Santarcangelo and Bob Horn, and the professionalism of fellow math teachers have all be influential. So many peo-ple here at Jesuit have been very supportive of my family and I just try to pass along what they have taught me to my students.”

“I am deeply honored to have been consid-ered for this award, and I am especially grate-ful to the committee for choosing Mr. Larry Finke along with myself,” commented Mr. Haich. “Since the first year that I started teach-ing, he has served as a role model for me both in and out of the classroom. He inspired me to become a better teacher. I would also like to express my profound gratitude to Mr. Flem-ing and Fr. Lahart for making this award avail-able to teachers. I was surprised to be chosen among so many of my worthy colleagues, and I will continue to try to grow and improve in order to live up to this honor that I have re-ceived.” George Fleming also used the occasion to announce that the Fleming Awards and Grants, which began in 2005 as an ‘experiment’ would be continued due to the great success the pro-grams have realized. “It is no longer an experi-ment,” he stated. “I am extremely grateful to George Fleming and the Fleming Endowment for the exten-sion of their funding for the Fleming Grants for

Pictured left to right: Principal Richard Nevle, George Fleming, Fr. Daniel Lahart, and 2009 Fleming Teaching Excellence Award Recipients Christian Haich and Larry Finke.

Teaching Enrichment and the Fleming Awards for Teaching Excellence,” said Fr. Daniel Laha-rt. “For the last five years the Fleming Founda-tion has provided our faculty with the resources to continue to improve their performance in the classroom, and has allowed us to recognize those whose work in the classroom has been most extraordinary. I’m very excited about con-tinuing these wonderful programs.” The annual Awards are named in memory of Dr. George Fleming. Father of Scott ’69 and George Fleming, Dr. Fleming had a life-long interest in education. Before becoming a successful hospital administrator, he taught the children of migrant workers and American Indians in Arizona and he never forgot this teaching experience. In addition to the annual teaching awards, the Fleming Foundation also began The Fleming Fund for Teaching Enrich-ment at Jesuit to support excellence in the classroom by attracting and retaining superior teachers.

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SCHOOL NEWS

Croquet Matches Return to the QuadMost Jesuit alumni recall the Cloverleaf Classic Croquet matches

conducted in the quad. The games were held under the watchful eye of Fr. J.B. Leininger, SJ as he would play referee while dressed in full cassock. This spring, for the first time since JB’s retirement from the class-room at the end of the 2005-06 school year, the croquet matches were back in the quad. Nancy Nevle in the Dean of Students Office had the idea to bring it back and Assistant Dean of Students Chuck Kenny took the idea and ran with it. The result was a croquet tournament held at the end of school year, just before finals. “I found JB’s equipment was stowed away in his Math classroom closet,” noted Mr. Kenny. “It was Nancy’s idea to look there. We purchased a plaque to honor Fr. Leininger with his photograph and the winner’s name will be engraved each year.” The 2009 winner was freshman Kevin Toth (freshmen). Mr. Kenny, who also runs the school’s intramural sports program, plans to bring the croquet matches back next year as a regular part of the fall activities.

Fr. J.B. Leininger, SJ watched many a Jesuit student play croquet in the quad (top right) and in 2009, after a long hiatus, the croquet matches return toward the end of the school year (bottom right).

Crusaders Strong at UILAcademic Meet

The UIL Academic district meet was held March 28 at Spring Woods High School. The Jesuit Computer Science team, led by Mat-thew Rhode, Joe Vennix, Michael Depinet, and Paddy Hoskins fin-ished in first place and qualified for the Regional Meet.

In addition, several individuals performed very well in several dif-ferent categories and advanced to the regionals. They included An-son Petrick in Editorial Writing, Phillip Balmeceda in Spelling, Travis Donnelly in Current Events, Matthew Rachal in Social Studies, and Clay Spence in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

In addition to the Computer Science team, strong showings were also posted by several other teams who finished in 2nd place. They included the Science team of Tim Allen, Chris Dismuke, Brett Proven-zano, Jonathan Espenan, Liam Taylor, Clement Chee; the Math team of Daniel Blado, Michael Depinet, Kevin Lafferty, Orion Campbell; the Social Studies team of Matthew Rachal, Kirk David, Shyon Hagh-peyker, Corbett Ekonomou and the Current Events team of Travis Donnelly, Thomas Benson, Matthew Sasso, and Joe Higgs.

Each year the Theatre Under The Stars presents the Tommy Tune Awards to recognize and reward excellence in the production of musical theater by high school students and their teachers in the greater Houston metropolitan area. This year productions from 44 area schools were considered and five Strake Jesuit students were among the nominees based on their performances in Les Miseables at St. Agnes Academy. They include Walker Smith and Rheme Sloan, who were both nominated for Best Leading Actor, Jared Castillo for Best Supporting Actor, and Ian Bouil-lion and Matt Hawes for Best Featured Performer. The awards are named in honor of Tommy Tune, who is a nine-time winner of the Tony Award, Broadways’ highest honor for out-standing work, and who is also a graduate of Lamar High School in Houston.

Five Students Nominated forTommy Tune Awards


~ A F O U R P A R T S E R I E S ~

Among the most moving features of any church or chapel can be the Stations of the Cross. By that measure, the new Lahart Chapel of St. Ignatius is truly blessed, thanks to the combined gift of Charles and Sue Adcock and the John and Charlene O’Shea Family Foundation. The Adcocks and the O’Shea Family Foundation joined to provide the Chapel with a dramatic representation of the Stations by one of the world’s most renowned religious art-ists. Located across the gospel (or north) wall, which is the traditional location, are the Stations created by artist Gib Sin-gleton. Mr. Singleton is arguably the only artist ever to be repre-sented simultaneously in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Vatican Museum and the State of Israel, whose large collection of his art was a bequest of Prime Minister Golda Meir. Today, Pope Benedict XVI carries his crosier with a bronze cross at the top, which was designed by Mr. Singleton. Another of his crosses rests next to the Shroud of Turin. Years ago, when Michelangelo’s Pieta was vandalized in the Vati-can Museum, Gib was asked to assist in the restoration process. The Adcocks subsequently commissioned Mr. Singleton to create the crucifix which is now located in the Parsley Center. This equally dramatic and moving piece fills a much needed void in the Parsley Center where monthly school-wide Masses are held.

Dramatic Stations of the Cross Make a Lasting Impression

This is the first in a four-part series highlighting some of the special features of the new Daniel K. Lahart Chapel of St. Ignatius which was completed as a part of The Greater Glory Capital Campaign. The Chapel was blessed at a special Mass on Saturday, January 31, 2009.

A gift of the Adcocks and O’Sheas, Gib Singleton’s Stations of the Cross run along the gospel (or north) wall of the new chapel (top and middle). In addition, to the Adcocks donated a cruci-fix by Mr Singleton (bottom) for the Parsley Center where school-wide Masses are held.

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DEVELOPMENT

The 29th Strake Jesuit Fantasy Auction, “Safari Soiree,” was truly an adventure! At-tendees arrived at the Sugar Land Marriott Town Square dressed in “safari chic” attire. A thatched hut and wild animals, along with Fr. Lahart, S.J. and auction chairs, Phil and Jill Rib-beck, greeted the guests. Large African masks adorned the ballroom and zebra skin table top-pers highlighted the dining area. Guests com-peted for their favorite silent auction items and bidding was brisk at the big boards. Sign- up party opportunities ranged from Father-Son outings and ladies luncheons, to poolside cocktail parties.

Mark “Bouncer” Schiro ‘82, took the stage as auctioneer extraordinaire! He engaged the audience with his quick wit and enthusiasm. The live auction was lively and fast paced. At

Fantasy Auction a ‘Wild’ Successthe end of the evening, a special opportunity was provided for guests to make donations to purchase a statue of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. The statue depicts St. Ignatius as a young man, kneeling-perhaps in his daily Examen. The Examen teaches us to find time for God and reflection in our busy lives. The statue will be sculpted in Italy and installed this fall outside the chapel to remind all who pass by to pause and reflect on their day. Supporters were very generous and com-pletely funded the statue and installation.

Besides being a lot of fun, “Safari Soiree” was a very successful evening! The proceeds will benefit the financial aid program. Phil and Jill Ribbeck would like to thank all the volunteers, who worked diligently all year, the many benefactors who helped to un-derwrite portions of the auction and the entire Strake Jesuit community for their support of this important event. We are pleased to announce that Leigh and Bill Stubbs will be the auction chairs for the 2010 auction. If you would like to be part of the fun, please contact Leigh at lhstubbs@

comcast.net or Sharon Venables, the Auction Coordinator, sven-ables@ strakejesuit.org .

Fr. Daniel Lahart, SJ with the 2009 Auction Chairs Jill and Phil Ribbeck (top right).

Auctioneer Mark “Bouncer” Schiro ‘82 (top left)

A large crowd was on hand at the Marriott Sugar Land for a wonder-ful and exciting evening (bottom).

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DEVELOPMENT

Annual Drives to Consolidate Under Common BannerIt has long been the case that

there is a bond that exists be-tween the various members of the Strake Jesuit community. Be they alumni, parents, past parents, faculty, students or friends of the school, what they have all held in common is their shared belief in the mission of Strake Je-suit. Members of this community express that support in many ways, such as through their gifts of time and talent. However, the largest evidence of that support comes through their consistent and generous investment in the school through the Annual Drives - Alumni, Parent, Faculty, and the Senior Class Gift. In an effort to bring that sense of commu-

nity to these annual giving campaigns, begin-ning in the fall of 2009, each of these drives will be consolidated under the single banner of the Strake Jesuit Annual Fund. The drives themselves, which each focus on a particular segment of the school community, will still con-tinue as they have in the past, but under the larger, overall umbrella of the Annual Fund. “This is a way for us to strengthen what already is a great sense of a school commu-nity,” said N.J. Santarcangelo ‘67, Director of

Development. “All of the differ-ent segments of our community have supported the school in so many ways, this is simply a way to make the bonds that hold them together even stronger. So that,

regardless of which individual drive someone might give to, they share a support for the Strake Jesuit Annual Fund. Given the increas-es in financial aid, support of the Annual Drive is more imporant than ever.” When each of these drives kick-off in the fall of 2009, correspondence and other materials developed for each of the drives will carry this new banner.

33rd Annual Strake Jesuit Scramble Raises Record Amount

More than 200 golfers gathered at magnificent Sweetwater Coun-try Club in Sugar Land, Texas on Monday, June 1, 2009 for the 33rd Annual Strake Jesuit Scramble presented by the Dad’s Club. Thanks to the support of its many underwriters, sponsors and players, the tourna-ment was able to raise a record amount. For many of the tournament’s sponsors, the fun began the night before on Sunday, May 31 at the Pre-Tournament Sponsors Reception in the Moran Dining Hall (right, top). In addition to refreshments, the sponsors and their guests were able to take a turn in the golf simulator. As a special treat, Bruce Davidson, head professional at River Oaks Country Club and coach to PGA Masters Champion Mark O’Meara, was on hand to offer swing analysis. The next day everyone gathered at Sweetwater Country Club in Sugar Land for the tournament (right, bottom). The players were greeted by a beautiful day and received first-class treatment from the Sweetwater staff. The field was comprised of representatives from every part of the Jesuit community - current parents, past parents, alumni, and faculty/staff. After a great day of golf, everyone gathered back at the clubhouse for the Awards Reception and Dinner. Special thanks are in order to the tournament Chairman Dave Hollkamp and his committee as well as to the events major sponsors that include San Antonio Credit Union - Awards Reception & Dinner Sponsor; The Men’s Wearhouse - Shirt Sponsor; James E. Bashaw & Co. - Pre-Tournament Reception Sponsor; Dobrowski, L.L.P. - Tiger Drive Sponsor; Northstar - Beverage Cart Sponsor; and David Hildreth M.D. and Richmond Bone & Joint Clinic - Putting Contest Sponsor.


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SPIRITUALITY

Restlessness and giddy laughter filled the hallways on the last day of classes. The sun filtered through the windows bathing us all in shim-mering light. I knew I had at least 10 minutes to keep my students’ at-tention on the last day of review. “Summer is here,” one of my students shouted. Indeed, summer is here, I said, and we still have to finish reviewing this semester’s material. Will this be on the test? Do we have to know that? When did we cover this? Are you going to drop our lowest grade? My memory knew these questions: they have been asked al-most every quarter since the beginning of the year. Now it is summer, I thought. It is time to give God what is God’s and to Caesar what is Caesar’s. Inspired by the sun light, I began to lead my students through the Ignatian Ex-amen. Take a look back at your year at Strake Jesuit and become aware of God’s presence. Make a mental note to yourself and give thanks for what God has given you. What have I learned this year? How have I changed? What are the challenges I have faced and what are the blessings I discovered? Slowly, they bowed their heads and began to pray. Some kept look-ing outside the window while others simply kept spinning their pens around their thumbs. Recall that you are in the presence of God and give thanks, I said. Where and how did I find God throughout this year? What surprised me about God this year? What new insight did I gain from my daily routine and prayer? What am I grateful for this year? Let us examine our days, our work ethics and ways in which we engaged life this past year. Were you excited to be at school each day? Did you look forward to classes, spending time with friends, teammates, coaches and teachers? Did you enjoy yourself in the classrooms and athletic fields? Did you try out for choir, debate, the-ater, band and orchestra? How many new friends did you make? Was there an academic subject you mastered and understood? Let us give thanks for each and everyone we met this year.

Ask for pardon and offer a prayer of reconciliation. Was there a time when you were not your best? How good of a friend am I? Was I a good brother? Did I make my parents proud? Was there a time

when I allowed myself to be deceived and perhaps deceived others? Was I honest with my work, with my friends and with my fam-ily? In the spirit of thanksgiving, ask God for pardon and seek forgiveness. Looking ahead at your summer time, your vacation and your time with your family and friends, offer a prayer and resolve. What are you looking forward to doing and to experi-ence this summer? Next year? Is there an area of your life that you want to improve? Is there someone in your life that you want to grow closer to and become better friends with? What is the gift God wants to offer you

this summer and next year? As we prayed and reflected on our year, I knew that summer had already started. I became aware more and more of the blessings I have received as a teacher and as school chaplain. Each student had helped me to see the face of God. I have learned and received so much from them. I felt blessed and, like them, I wanted to go run in the field. Summer is here, I thought to myself. God has been good and has blessed us all. The bell rang and each of my students stood up and grabbed their books and bags. I walked to the door and made sure I shook every-one’s hand as they exited the classroom. Filled with gratitude and blessings, I recited a quiet prayer in my heart. I also remembered one of my favorites quotes from Annie Dillard’s book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek: “This is how you spend the afternoon, and tomorrow morning, and tomorrow afternoon. Spend the afternoon. You can’t take it with you.” As summer begins, I pray that we continue to spend our days, afternoons and nights in thanksgiving and praise for all that God has done for us and will continue to bring to fulfillment in years to come.

“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad.” Psalm 118:24

by Fr. Flavio Bravo, SJ

The Joys of Summer

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ATHLETICS

Steve McConnell ‘78 was a three-year starter at linebacker on the Crusaders football team. He helped Jesuit to consecutive State Football Championships in 1976 and 1977. He was named to both the T.C.I.L. All-State Team and the Houston Chronicle’s All-Greater Houston Football Team, and was the first Je-suit player ever to be named to both the All-District Offensive and Defensive Teams. Steve was also awarded the football team’s “Fighting Crusader” Award as a senior. Voted

on by the team, the award was presented to the senior player who demonstrated to teammates the best qualities of human behavior. Steve was also an extremely ver-satile athlete. He was a starter on Jesuit’s basketball team and as a junior was the All-District catcher and one of the leading hitters as well as the Team Captain on Je-suit’s State Championship Base-ball Team. Steve died tragically on Janu-ary 28, 1976 due to an illness during his senior year. “My sisters and I are very ex-cited that our brother, Steve, will be inducted into the Strake Jesuit Athletic Hall of Honor,” said Mike McConnell upon learning of his younger brother’s induction “We real-ize that this is a special honor and we are thankful to all of those in the Strake Jesuit community that made this possible.”

Four New Members Elected to Athletic Hall of HonorThe Strake Jesuit Athletics Hall of Honor,

which last year inducted its inaugural class of five individuals and one team, will receive four new members in 2009. Selected for induction into the Hall in the second class are Individual Athletes Ralph Sacra ’69 and Steve McConnell ’78, the 1976-77 Crusaders Soccer Team, and Distinguished Individual Bill McArdle.

Ralph Sacra ’69 was an early multi-sport athlete at Jesuit playing football, basketball, and baseball playing all three sports at the varsity level as both a junior and a senior. As a junior he was an All-District selection in baseball. In his senior year, he was All-District in bas-ketball but really shined on the football field as an end. He was selected All-District, All-State, and All-American. Mr. Sacra attended Texas A&M where he played foot-ball and was selected All-South-west Conference as an offensive tackle in 1972 and 1973. He be-came the first Jesuit graduate ever selected in the NFL Draft when the Philadelphia Eagles chose him in the 14th round.

“My time at Strake Jesuit was a tremendous experience, both, scholastically and athletically,” commented Mr. Sacra. “Being inducted into to Hall of Honor is icing on the cake. I am grateful to the committee for selecting me, but more importantly, grateful to the teachers and coaches at Jesuit who taught and coached me.”

Ralph Sacra ‘69

Steve McConnell ‘78

at SAVE THE DATE!

Hall of Honor Induction Ceremony and Dinner, Saturday, October 3

Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 3, 2009 and make plans to be there when the new inductees into the Athletics Hall of Honor are officially enshrined.

It is sure to be an evening of great stories, great reminiscing, lots of laughs and maybe a few tears.

Watch your e-mail inbox as well as your postal mail box for more information this fall.

cer Coach from 1976-1983 and then as the Athletic Director from 1983-1997. In addition, he was the Dean of Students from 1977-1997.

“It is an honor and a privi-lege to be inducted in the Hall of Honor,” stated Mr. McArdle. “It is particularly humbling to be included along side two great athletes and leaders and a great team.”

During his seven seasons as the Head Soccer Coach he had a 162-31-16 record with one State Championship. In his 14-year tenure as Athletic Director, the Crusaders won 39 State Championships.

These four new members of the Athletic Hall of Honor will be in-ducted the weekend of October 2-3, 2009. On October 2 they will be introduced at halftime of the Crusaders football game against North-brook. Then, on Saturday night, October 3 they will be formally in-ducted into the Hall of Honor at a dinner in the Moran Dining Hall.

The 1976-77 Soccer Team inherited a 30-game unbeaten streak begun by the 1974-75 team and continued by the 1975-76 squad. Under Head Coach Bill McArdle, they team posted a 21-0-3 record to extend the undefeated streak to 54 which, at the time, was a national record. The team earned a District Championship and went on to win a 3rd straight State Championship. The core of the squad, which played on at least two if not all three of those seasons, included four players selected All-State in 1976-77.

Bill McArdle served at Strake Jesuit for more than 20 years, ar-riving in August 1976. During his tenure he served as the Head Soc-


ATHLETICS

After coming within a game of mak-ing the UIL playoffs for the first time last year, the Crusaders baseball team en-tered the 2009 season with nothing but a post-season berth in mind. And they finally accomplished that goal with their first playoff berth since the school joined the UIL.

After posting a 6-3 non-district record, the team entered District 17-5A play and, after dropping their first two games, reeled off four straight wins. Then, after going 2-2 over the next four games, they put together another 3-game winning streak. The third game of that streak was an im-portant 10-0 win over Alief Taylor that clinched Jesuit their first baseball UIL playoff spot.

The Crusaders faced Seven Lakes in the first round of the playoffs in a best-of-three series. Hosting the first game at Markle Steel Field on campus, Jesuit earned a 10-8 come-from-behind win. Game two moved to Seven Lakes where the home team posted a 9-1 win to even the series. The deciding third

BASEBALL

Senior Patrick Blizzard set a school record with 11 home runs and was a unanimous selection to the All-District First Team.

game moved to a neutral site at Morton Ranch High School and the Crusaders dropped a close 3-1 decision to end their post-season run. Eight members of the squad picked up post-season honors. Se-nior Patrick Blizzard, who set a school record with 11 home runs, led the way as a unanimous selection to the All-District First Team as a second baseman. Four other members earn All-District Second Team honors including junior Ryan Price as a pitcher, sophomore Evan Fichter at shortstop and seniors Garrett Staudt at third base and Klein Kubiak at designated hitter. Three more members of the team earned Honorable Mention recognition and they include seniors Jackson Baker and Stephen Seger and junior Rader Smith.

The Strake Jesuit golf team had another successful season in 2009. Though they did not qualify for Re-gionals as a team, the squad was very competitive. “We did not reach all of our goals as a team this year,” noted Head Coach Larry Finke. “But we were very competitive this year playing in some of the best tournaments in the Hous-ton area.”

1976-77 Soccer Team

Bill McArdle

GOLF

Senior Nicko Dodd earned All-District honors for the 4th straight year in 2009.

joined junior Tyler McLamb and freshman Sam Finney as Honorable Mention selections.

In just their second season of existence, the Jesuit Rugby team qualified for their second State Championship Tournament. The Crusaders got the year off to a quick start by winning their first six matches. Among these were wins over St. Pius, Dallas Jesuit, and their first two matches in the Dallas Jesuit Tournament which included another win over Dal-las Jesuit. Their first loss of the season came in the final of that tournament at the hands of the Alliance Club, 19-10. At the State Tournament, Jesuit came face-to-face with Dallas Jesuit again in the semi-finals. Though victorious in the first two match-ups, the Cru-saders could not get the hat trick and fell to a penalty kick in injury time, 21 -19. Playing for 3rd place against Austin-Westlake, another team Jesuit had beaten earlier in the sea-son, Jesuit held a 12 - 3 lead at the half but could not hold the advantage as Westlake roared back to win going away, 25 -12. Two Jesuit Rugby team members were named to the Texas U-17 (under 17) squad. Junior Alex Creede and sophomore Connell Craw-ford were named to the team and, as a result of this competition, the pair could earn a spot on with the Western Rugby Union team or the USA Rugby Football Union squad.

In a season of long undefeated streaks separated by less than a handful of losses, the Crusaders soccer team once again earned a berth in the UIL Playoffs. Jesuit began the season going 6-0-1 in their first seven games that included a win over St. Thomas and a 2-0-1 mark in their three games in the Governor’s Cup in Austin. After suffering their first defeat against Jersey Village, the Crusaders went on to a 4-0-2 record over their next six games that included a 3-0-2 start in district play. They suffered their first district loss against Spring Woods before going on another six game undefeated streak posting a 5-0-1 record in that span. After a loss to Alief Hastings, the Crusaders finished the regular season with a tie and a win to post an overall 8-2-4 district record which earned them the title. Hosting Katy in the first round of the playoffs, Jesuit suffered a tough 1-0 loss to make an early exit from post-season play.

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A few of those ‘best tournaments’ included a 2nd place finish in the Katy Taylor Invitational, a 3rd place in the Clear Creek Tourna-ment held at the site of the Shell Houston Open at Redstone, a 3rd place finish at Goose Creek, and finally a 3rd place finish at the Dis-trict 17-5A tournament. At that disitrict tournament the team of Nicko Dodd, Chris Lauinger, Bobby Heisler, Ray Panaligan and Chris Winters finished 3rd, just missed qualifying for the regional tournament. Senior Dodd, who will move on to play for the University of Texas-San Antonio next year, earned All-District honors for the 4th straight year. In addition he posted the 4th lowest round in school his-tory with his 70 at Deer Park.

The Jesuit Lacrosse program, which began in 2001, had its most successful season to date in its fifth year of Division I competition. (The Crusaders won state titles in 2002 and 2003 when competing at the Division II level.) This year’s Jesuit squad won the South Divi-sion title with a win on the road at St. John’s by a score of 17-12. That earned them a berth in the Texas High School Lacrosse League (THSLL) state championship tourna-ment. The Crusaders lost a heart breaker to St. Marks, 15-13, in the State Semifinals in Austin. After a lackluster first half, Jesuit found it-self trailing 6-3 before exploding in the third quarter to take a 10-9 lead. Up 12-10 with five minutes to play, an untimely off sides call took a goal off the board and gave St. Marks the momentum to come back to tie it up and eventually take the lead. The Crusaders finished the season with a 13-11 record and their first appearance in the Division I final four. “It’s exciting building off of last year’s first ever appearance in the Division I regional final,” noted Head Coach Mike Block. “Winning it this year is extra special with the fact that I have never coached a team that has faced as much adversity. It has shown the character of the guys to battle through and come together to achieve a regional title.” The team collected several post-season honors. Topping the list were seniors Andrew Martin and John Potts who were selected to the Texas High School Lacrosse League (THSLL) All-State team. Juniors Chris Duin and Joey Wippold were selected All-District in the South District and seniors Connor Wilson, Matt D’Herbes, Andrew Marietta

SOCCER

RUGBY

Sophomore Connell Crawford (above) and junior Alex Creede were named to the Texas U-17 squad.

Seniors John Pitts (top) and Andrew Martin (bottom) se-lected to the THSLL All-State team

LACROSSE

Eight members of the Strake Jesuit Soccer team were recog-nized with All-District honors. Named to the First Team were sophomore Abe Matamoros and juniors Robbe Tarver, and Pat-rick Wall. Named to the Second Team were senior Brian Till and junior Beau Grenier. Receiving Honorable Mention honors were seniors Zareh Hovesepian and Mark Gibson and junior Michael Davidson. In addition Abe Mata-moros was named District 18-5A Newcomer of the Year.

All three Crusader Tennis Teams claimed either out-right or a tie for the District 18-5A title at the District Tournament which con-cluded on Thursday, April 9. While the varsity squad tied Memorial for the team championship, the JV and Freshman teams won their team titles outright. Several individuals also claimed top honors. At the varsity level those included the Doubles team of Abe Hsu and Jarred Pendleton who claimed District Championship and the runner-up team of Dan Morris and Alejandro Nazario. Both Jesuit Doubles teams qualified for Regionals. In Singles, Luis Nunez earned the 3rd place medal and Alexandre Thirouin placed 4th.

“We had strong senior leadership from team captains Morris, Nazario, and Nunez,” said Head Coach Chuck Kenny. “They had a positive effect on our younger players that resulted in their improved performance and cohesive team chemistry throughout the season.”


Juniors Robbe Tarver (above) and Patrick Wall were joined by sopho-more Abe Matamoros as First Team All-Disitrict Selections.

ATHLETICS Several Crusaders earned All-District honors as Jarred Pendle-ton, Abraham Hsu, Dan Morris, and Alejandro Nazario were named First Team All-District and Luis Nunez and Alexandre Thirouin were named Second team All-District.

The Crusader track & field season was another huge success. Led by 15 graduating seniors, the Crusaders jelled as a team at the district meet to place as the runner-up. Highlights of the year were centered around a couple of seniors. Eric Baars set a new school record in the discus with a throw of 165’5”, breaking Zack Jannish’s record set just two years ago. James Webb set the school record in the 3200 meters with a 9:01.20 to break the record held by Mike Novelli for over three de-cades. In doing so, James also broke the Klein Relays record. He also broke several other records throughout the year with wins at Will Taylor Relays in the 3200 meters at 9:03.1 and the Regional qualifiers meet record in the 1600 meters and both the 1600 meter and 3200 meter records at the District 18-5A meet. He was awarded Most Out-standing Athlete at the Will Taylor Relays. Other highlights were Hunter Brook district champion in the High Jump, Deji Owolabi district champion in the 800 meters and the 4 X 400 relay team of all seniors Robert Schiller, Rickey Watson, Mike Collins and Owolabi winning the District Championship. In all ten boys qualified for regionals in eleven events. Owolabi was third in the 800 meters at the regional finals just missing a trip to the state meet and Mike Collins was 4th in the 110 hurdles. At the state meet in Austin James Webb placed 3rd in the 3200 meters in what many say was the best 3200 meter race in Texas High School History. James lowered his school record to 8:55.39 which was six seconds better than his previous record. In the 1600 meters he placed 4th. “We will miss the leadership just as much as the athletic talents of the fifteen seniors from the 2009 team,” noted Head Coach Michael Kerley. “They were an inspiration to all the athletes and coaches.”

TENNIS

Varsity 2009 District Co-Champions (left to right) Assistant Coach Trip Norkus, Alexandre Thirouin, Alejandro Nazario, Dan Mor-ris, Luis Nunez, Abraham Hsu, Head Coach Chuck Kenny.

A familiar scene at Jesuit track & field events over the last four years, such as this one, has been of James Webb leading the pack.

TRACK & FIELD

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ALUMNI NEWS

A dozen of the members of the Jesuit Class of 2009 are the sons of Strake Jesuit alumni. Pictured here are 11 of these graduates with their fellow alum fathers: (left to right) Nick and Steven Duble ‘82, Brian and Paul Till ‘82, Barrett and Barron Bogatto ‘78, Matthew and Sean Hanratty ‘81, Nick and Bart Thomeer ‘75, Jeffrey and David Peters ‘71, Joseph and Michael Vennix ‘80, Matthew and Glenn Mealey ‘80, Bobby and Robert Heisler ‘72, Stephen and John Seger ‘72, and James and James Branda ‘69. Not pictured are Robert and Roberto Garcia ‘83.

Strake Jesuit alum Joe Strawder ‘06 has become one of the DePaul Blue Demons top track stars since his arrival just over two years ago. This past April his status moved up a notch at a meet in Tem-pe, Arizona at the Sun An-gel Track Classic. At the meet Strawder broke the De-Paul school triple jump record with a leap of 15.18m to place fifth overall. Previously, The DePaul record had stood for nearly 11 years at a distance of 15.17m. In May, Strawder represent-ed the DePaul track and field program on Friday at the NCAA Mideast Regional Champion-ships where he tied for 19th in the men’s long jump.

Alumni Online Community and Facebook Now Linked

Strake Jesuit Alumni who have a profile on Facebook will now be able to “connect” their Facebook account to their profile on the Strake Jesuit Alumni Online Community. The two websites will be connect-ed after a quick one-time process which links the Facebook account and the Strake Je-suit Alumni Online Community profile. Future logins to the Strake Jesuit Alumni Online Community can be done just by click-ing the Facebook Connect button on the SJ Alumni Community login page and entering your Facebook login information. One less pass-word to remember! In order to take advantage of this application, you should have already logged into the Strake Jesuit Alumni Online Community at least once in the past to set your own username and password. If you have not yet done this, go to http://alumni.strakejesuit.org/ and click on “First Time Login” at the very top left hand corner of the page. It is a quick and easy three step process to login for the first time to the Strake Jesuit Alumni Online Community. Once you have logged in, among the many features of the community, you can update your information, as well as set your own username and password. It is important that you have done this first, prior to using the Facebook Connect application.

Strawder ‘06 Breaks 11-Year old DePaul Track Record

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ALUMNI NEWS

Record Turnout for Br. Casey Saturday PH Project Assists Cristo Rey Jesuit of Houston

On Saturday, April 18, 2009, a record number of alumni and their sons joined Br. Casey Ferli-ta, SJ at the 7th Annual Br. Casey Saturday PH Project. This year’s event was held at the new Cristo Rey Jesuit high school, which will open this coming fall. Even some alumni dads joined in this year. The large group painted the cafeteria and other areas, moved furniture, cleaned the building and lent a hand on a few other proj-ects.

In past years, the Br. Casey PH Project has brought Jesuit alumni together to assist at Our Lady of the Guada-lupe School, St. Christopher’s, Holy Ghost, and Magnificat House.

A record number of alumni (top) turned out for the 7th Annual Br. Casey Saturday PH Project at Cristo Rey Jesuit Houston to paint and do other projects (bottom).

Reunion Weekend 2009 is September 18-20, 2009. This year’s Reunion Classes are 1969, ‘74, ‘79, ‘84, ‘89, ‘94, ‘99, and ‘04 and they are all assured of a great weekend of memories. This will be the first Reunion since the completion of the projects under The Greater Glory Capi-tal Campaign so there will be lots of new things to see on campus including the new Moran Dining Hall (formerly the Smith Gym), the new Clay Activity Center, and the Lahart Chapel. Each Reunion Class has a member (or members) who are assisting the Alumni Office with planning the weekend. This year those alumni are: 1969 - Scott Fleming and Joseph Permetti; 1974 - Steve Kamel; 1979 - Cliff McAdams, John Hasenpflug, and Butch Cal-

legari; 1984 - Michael Ricc-etti, Michael Wells, and Brian Capo; 1989 - Richard Fletch-er; 1994 - Howard Chapman; 1999 - Cas Atchison, Jeff Shaddix, and Greg Barra, and 2004 - Joseph Mims. The weekend will be-

gin with a Golf Outing on Friday, Septem-ber 18 at Wildcat, one of Houston’s most unique and popular golf courses. That eve-ning, school President Fr. Daniel Lahart, SJ will host a reception at school in the new Moran Dining Hall which was created from the former Smith Gym. On Saturday night, individual class parties will be held at some of Houston’s most outstanding restaurants. The weekend will then con-

clude on Sunday with a Mass in the new Lahart Chapel of St. Ignatius and Brunch in the Moran Dining Hall followed by tours of the campus and the new construction which has been completed over the last few years.

Reunion Weekend 2009 Drawing Near

To register for Reunion Weekend online go to

www.strakejesuit.org and click on the Reunion

logo on the home page.

www.strakejesuit.org

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CLASS NOTES

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nKen Mann ‘66 is Director of Organi-zational Development for BMC Soft-ware, based in Houston. All three of his children have graduated from college, all three are married, and he and his wife, Rodgie, have two grandchildren.

Michael T Doyle ‘69 and his wife, Karen, became grandparents to Noah Michael Doyle on April 16, 2009. He also retired this past year after 30 years as a dentist.

Mark Davidson ’71 presented his research on Emeline’s Story to the Bellaire Historical Society on May 14, 2009. It is the story of a freed slave woman from Tennessee who found her way to Texas in the 1840’s and had to go to court to be declared free from a Texas man who claimed her as his slave.

Zeb Poindexter III ’77 and his fa-ther were recognized by the Hous-ton Business Journal as Health Care Heroes in dentistry. They were honored at an awards luncheon on May 20, 2009 which was part of the newspaper’s Celebrate!Enterprise program.

Cliff McAdams ’79 received his LL.M. degree in International Law from the University of Houston Law Center in May 2009. He is currently looking for employment with a trans-national company or an international law firm.

Steven Duble ‘82 celebrated the graduation of his son, Nick, from Jesuit this year. Nick will be a fresh-man at the University of Portland in the fall. His daughter Caroline will be a junior at St. Agnes and his daughter Lizzie will be a 6th grader at Corpus Christi Catholic School this year. Duble joined the law firm IrelanHargis in downtown Houston earlier this year where he practices commercial litigation.

Mike Riccetti ’84 is contributing his insights as the Houston Cheap Eats Examiner for Examiner.com, a nationwide news and community information source.

Mike Schneider ’84 has been living in Hawaii for the last seven years where he is working for the Depart-ment of Labor assisting at-risk youth on the islands of Oahu and Kauai.

Jarrod Serrato ’84 was married to Monique Elizabeth Williams on June 20, 2009 in Newport Beach, Califor-nia.

Todd Vlasak ‘84 and his wife, Ni-ysaan, and their daughter Lindsey, welcomed Sophie Jo into their fam-ily on June 25, 2008.

Ken Lojo ‘91 and his wife, Wendi, welcomed the birth of their first child, Katherine Anne, on December 18, 2008. Ken is the Director of Ad-missions at Strake Jesuit.

Colin Smith ’91 and his wife, An-gela, welcomed their second child, Abigail Veronica Smith, on April 27, 2009. He and his family live in Dal-las where he is a software develop-er. He will graduate from SMU Law School in May 2010.

John Foote ’92 and his wife, Katie, welcomed the birth of their daughter Rile Foote, on April 7, 2009.

Andrew Romanek ’93 and his wife, Martha, welcomed the birth of their first child, Carter Joseph, on March 28, 2009.

Stephen Fraga ’93 and his wife, Michelle welcomed the birth of twins boys Stephen Michael, Jr. and Gregory Michael on May 20, 2009.

Quentin “Tate” Williams ’93 has moved to the Washington, D.C. area where he has taken a position as Chief of Staff for Media Matters for America.

Michael Sieger ’95 and his wife, Shannon, are excited about the birth of their first child, Jacob Joseph, on January 8, 2009.

Ryan Eberle ’96 and his wife, Jill, welcomed the birth of Grant Walker Eberle on March 24, 2009.The fam-ily lives in Katy, Texas.

Chris Kimball ’98 graduated from the University of Texas Dental Branch in May 2009 and is practic-ing in the Austin area as a General Dentist. He and his wife, Sandra, have a 6-year-old daughter and are expecting with their second child.

Grant Champion ’99 and his wife, Jane (Duchesne ’00) welcomed the birth of their first child, James, on February 17, 2009

Belton Flournoy ’99 was elected to the National Board of Directors for Marquette University and was featured in Certification Magazine in September 2008.

‘60’s‘60’s

‘80’s‘80’s

‘90’s‘90’s

‘70’s‘70’s

Paul Hsu ‘00 & Kevin Nadolny ‘00 recently met up in June at their 5-year college Reunion at Cornell University.

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CLASS NOTES

Bryan D. BauerFather of Travis ‘06 and Luke ‘08

Dr. John L. Gidley Father of Mark ‘79, Paul ‘82, and Neil ‘87

Donald Elon InmanFather of Philip ‘74, Tony ‘76, and Alex ‘82 and

Grandfather of Taylor ‘07

Julia Margaret LanghenryMother of Joseph '74 and Dan '76

Panayiotis Jason Onisiforou Father of George ‘86

Dr. Patrick Anthony TitusFather of Robert ‘84

- IN MEMORIAM -

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Sophie Jo Vlasak on June 25, 2008Todd ‘84 and Niysaan

Katherine Anne Lojo on December 18, 2008Ken ‘91 and Wendi

Jacob Joseph Sieger on January 8, 2009 Michael ‘95 and Shannon

James Champion on February 17, 2009Grant ‘99 and Jane

Grant Walker Eberle on March 24, 2009Ryan ‘96 and Jill

Carter Joseph Romanek on March 28, 2009Andrew ‘93 and Martha

Rile Foote on April 7, 2009John ‘92 and Katie

Abigail Veronica Smith on April 27, 2009Colin ‘91 and Angela

Stephen Michael, Jr. and Gregory Michael Fraga on May 20, 2009Stephen ‘93 and Michelle

‘00’s‘00’sJoshua Eberle ’01 graduated from South Texas Law School in Decem-ber 2007 and passed the bar in May. He is practicing law in Houston.

Eric Friedlander ’02 lives in Silver Spring, Maryland and works for Maryland Sound International and recently worked New Years in Times Square and at the Obama inaugura-tion.

Mark Standish ‘03 was married to Laura Tucker on May 30, 2009 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Fort Worth.

Joey Gouchnour ’04 has earned two Bachelor of Science degrees in Nutrition and Kinesiology from Penn State University. He plans to attend graduate school at the University of Texas in Exercise Physiology.

Pair of Alums AmongHouston Young Leaders

When the Houston Business Journal set-out to honor their inaugural

‘40 Under 40’, little did they know that Strake Jesuit alumni would be so

prominent on their list. However, Bo Bothe ‘88 and Stephen Fraga ‘93

were in fact among the original young business leaders on their list.

Mr. Bothe, President of BrandExtract, and Mr. Fraga, President of

Tejas Office Products, were honored by HBJ in April as being among

the 40 young leaders “who excel in their industries, are respected busi-

ness leaders and show dynamic leadership in their community.”

Bo Bothe ‘88Stephen Fraga ‘93


Ordinarily the focus of this column is on the past. In large mea-sure that is due to the rather obvious fact that at this point in the life of this Olde Crusader there has certainly been more past to be consid-ered than there will likely be future. I suppose that’s why they choose to refer to me as the “Olde” Crusader. But summer time is a time when even Olde George’s thoughts turn to the future. True, the school year has come to a close, but it ended with a “commencement” exercise. So as the ’09 graduates proceeded out of the building, diploma in hand, I took a deep breath and whispered to myself, “and now it is time for us to begin again.” The great wheel still turns as it has for 45 years. Preparation for 2010 actually began last year with the applications for admission and the obligatory entrance exams. Now, a somewhat apprehensive but none the less eager group of 8th grade grads has been selected and they stand ready to take their place as Strake Je-sui’s 2009- 2010 freshman class. They won’t have long to wait. In fact, in true Crusader fashion rather than wait, we’ll just get started right away. And I say why not? Cer-tainly, this com-munity likes to work hard, and to play hard all year long. Je-suit is always a busy place. This summer will be no ex-ception. The Je-suit Athletes Camp (JAC) is always a big draw. In Houston, the summertime heat can be oppressive. It’s also a tough, long camp but our young athletes are always equal to it. Pace yourself boys and drink lots of water. The summer work program is a great program. I am always proud to see our young men demonstrate not only a work ethic but also a love of our school. A little bit of “sweat equity” will become the glue that bonds - them to this school and this community to them. Thank you for your service gentlemen. Speaking of work, alas, there will also be summer school. Wheth-er it is to make up a little lost ground from last year or better yet to get a head start on next year, my hope is that the summer students all do

well. A word to the wise: studying helps. Faculty members will be busy too. Some will teach. Others will learn; continuing their own education to become better more profi-cient educators. Thank you dear faculty: for your drive and for your dedication. Jesuit athletes will participate in summer league Baseball, La-crosse, Basketball and Seven Man Football. Good luck men! Hone those skills for the regular season. You have big shoes to fill. But don’t worry about it. It has always been that way around here. Just work hard and soon you too will have your shining moment. And when you, do we will all be there to cheer you on. Just as they have always done, this summer, our young Men for Others will make their way out into the community on a crusade to help others. God Bless you boys! We are proud of you. The Alumni will not be left out. Young or old, the “boys” always re-turn. I have already seen a number of familiar faces among the return-ing collegiate. Meanwhile, some of the older alums have been meet-

ing to elect the latest in-ductees to the Athletic Hall of Honor and also to select this year’s Ig-natian Award Winner. The Alumni still love this school. This school still loves its alum-ni.

No one will be busier than our Jesuit maintenance crew. These are the good guys that keep these premises ship shape all year around. Summer is their time for “the 3 R’s” - Renew - Repair – Re-place. That big green building at the back of the school will be as busy as a beehive all summer long. For all of us this is simply no time for rest. The start of school is just around the corner. To the promise of a fun filled summer, I pledge my shield and my sword.

George

Its time for us to begin again

thdAoathnWAlosslonSummer work program in full swing.

The Garden Door, 1985, by Jorge Castillo (Spanish 1933 - ), is cut steel and on loan from Frank Ribelin. It is on display in the garden in of Hampil Hall (400 Building).

August

September

For up to date event information,go to www.strakejesuit.org

PARENTS, if you are still receiving your son’s Chronicle although he no longer lives with you, let us know so we can change our records and send the magazine directly to him. If you enjoy reading the publication but do not receive a copy of your own, let us know that too. We would be glad to send a copy to your son’s new address and continue to send you one.

Contact the Alumni Office at [email protected] or at

713.490.8153

Strake Jesuit College Preparatory8900 Bellaire BoulevardHouston, Texas 77036

CALENDAR OF EVENTSCALENDAR OF EVENTS

October

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13-14

14

16

17

22

26

4

11

18-20

23

3

14

15

16

17

25

New Parent Cookout

New Student Orientation

Mother’s Club Welcome Brunch

Vow Day

Classes Begin

Orientation Dance

Follow Your Son’s Schedule

Mass of the Holy Spirit Big Brother/Little Brother

Reunion Weekend

Parent-Teacher Meeting

Hall of Honor and Ignatian Award Dinner

Mother-Son Luncheon

Grandparents Day

Homecoming Game vs Alief Taylor

Homecoming Dance

Alum Moms Mass and Brunch

Father-Son Funday

Summer 2009

Documents

Transcript of Summer 2009